Machine for the separation of gold or other concentrate from sand or other material



Dec. 3, 1935. M. scHLANK 2,022,926

MACHINE FOR-THE SEPARATION OF GOLD OR OTHER CONCENTRATE FROM SAND OROTHER MATERIAL Filed oct. 26, 1935 5 sheets-sheet 1 @s Flai Ej/ Y l `|I5 n no o o I o I rr o 'fm E o I D g 'mf 'I O I O D O o El o l Il. l ||1l/ o 5 L ll- 3` o nq, Uff) o D I o 1/5 O a i;

\ 55 o 5 o S' 15u' l l I q a x @l in "MQ 5w i 5 ma l l o l El l' n o o/olr6 5 L s/ u O A -I so :l sa En o e` 1 |l En )l l l l f u S l' L s ,1d iO s\OO/Io/lo )"1 115 o Y L' 'l )Jh 5 l Mchad Schlank Dec. 3, 1935. MsCHLANK 2,022,926

MACHINE FOR THE SEPARATION OF GOLD OR OTHER OONOENTRATE FROM SAND OROTHER MATERIAL Filed Oct. 26, 1955 3 sheets-sheet 2 Drg l 50 M3 m a A wIlm f2 Dec. 3, 1935. M. scHLANK 2,022,925

MACHINE FOR THE SEPARATION OF GOLD OR OTHER CONCENTRATE FROM SAND OROTHER MATERIAL Filed Oct. 26, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FILE 3 5W se 49 3aerr a5 Michael Schlank.

INVENTOFC TTY.

Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Michael Schlank, NorthUnley, Australia Application October 26, 1933, Serial No. 695,260 InAustralia November 4, 1932 4 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to an improved machine for the separation ofgold or other metals or materials from crushed ore, alluvial deposits,sand, clay, the dumps or tailings of mine workings or other vcontainingmedium with which they may be associated.

`While my invention is particularly suitable for the recovery of goldfrom crushed ore and `from the dumps or tailings of mine workings, itcan be used yfor the recovery of diamonds or any minerals heavier thanthe sand or gangue in which they are contained. It is also suitable forthe recovery of occulent precipitates such as bismuth carbonate. Y

According to my invention the material containing the gold or otherheavy material which it is desired to concentrate is passed with a flowof water through a series of rotating specially constructed bowls, theoverflow from the topmost bowl passing into the second,that `from thesecond into the third, and so on for .as many as may be required. vEachbowl retains some of the heavier material so that practically all theheavy material is concentrated. Where the specic gravity of the materialto be concentrated is considerably higher than that of the sand orcontaining medium two orthree bowls will Ybe sulicient, but'where thereis little difference in the speciiic-gravities or where the material isvery finely divided it may be advisable to have nine or ten or even morebowls.

Each bowl is shaped to have its inner face curving from approximatelyhorizontal at the centre to approximately vertical'at the lip, and hasupon y its innerface a series of undercut circular baiiles in which thegold or other heavy material to be concentratedis trapped as the sand orother containing `medium mixed withwater is caused to flowbycentriiugalforce from the centre of the rotating bowl upward and outwardover the rim of the same.

The machine depends for its operation upon the diiference in specicgravity of the several materials being treated, and on the slip betweenthe materials and `the bowl, the material having the greater speccgravity, which I will hereinafter call the concentrate, being caughtunder the bailies While that having a Vlower specific gravity, which Iwill h-ereinaftercall the gangue, is discharged Vover the lip of thebowl.

The bowls are arranged within units positioned in step formation, andthe feed device to each unit is so arranged that instead of passingthrough such unit it may be by-passed to the next unit. Each bowl is.also provided with declutching means so that individual bowls Ymay bestopped, such stopping being necessary to facilitate discharge of theconcentrate. The by-passing and stopping of individual bowls is for thepurpose of enabling the concentrating process to 5 be carried outcontinuously when in operation so that such machine may be used forlarge-scale concentration.

In order that the invention may be the more clearly understood however Iwill now describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. ll is a sectional side elevation of the .apparatus for separatinggold or other concentrate from sand or other gangue, the apparatus beingshown as consisting of three units, the rst unit being by-passed as forcleaning.

Fig. 2 isl a central section of one of the units, it being drawn to alarger scale than Figql.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a unit, this ligure 20 being drawn to thesame scale `as Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but, whereas in Fig. 3 the unit isshown with hand controls, in this figure the unit is shown withautomatic control. 25

Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. 3.

Each unit comprises a main frame I in which is ,a bowl 2 mounted upon avertical tubular shaft 3 whereby it is rotated. The bowl 2 has its facecurving from approximately horizontal at the centre to approximatelyvertical at the lip, and has upon its inner face a series of undercutbaffles 4.

The shaft 3 is carried in a suitable bearing 5 and has secured toit,near its lower end, a clutch plate 6. The clutch plate 6 is adapted toengage a second clutch plate 'I immediately beneath it, and this secondclutch plate is secured to the top of a driven tubular shaft 8 which iscoaxial with the shaft 3, the shafts 3 and 8 being aligned one 40 withthe other by the end of the one projecting into Athe end of the other.

The shaft 8 is shown as made in two sections but these sections arerigidly connected together and the Shaft is aligned by bearings lo andsecured to the main frame I. Downward thrust on the shaft 8 istransmitted through a thrust bearing I2 to the main frame I.

Adjacent the bearings I!) and II, rigidly secured to the shaft 8, arebevel gears I4 and I5 50 which engage bevel gears I6 and I'lrespectively upon hollow shafts I8 and I9 carried in bearings 2) and 2ivsecured to the main frame I. The hollows in the shafts I8 and I9 are ofsquare section and are adapted to engagesquare shafts 22. The shafts I8and I9 are confined axially by the bevel gears I6 and I1 and by collars24 and 25.

The weight of the bowl 2 and of its contents is transmitted through theshaft 3 tothe upper clutch plate 6 and by it to the lower clutch plate 1whence it is transmitted through the shaft 8 and through the thrustbearing I2 to the main frame l. Drive applied to the shaft 8 by thesquare shaft 22 is thus normally transmitted through the clutch platesto the bowl 2, but to stop the rotation of the bowl 2, when such isdesired, two rockshafts 30 and 3! are provided which are supported inbearings in the main frame I and these rockshafts have upon them arms 32and 33 which have upon their ends rollers adapted to engage theunderside of the upper clutch plate 6. When those rockshafts 30 and 3lare operated the clutch plate 6 is lifted from engagement with theclutch plate 1, the shaft 3 sliding upward in its bearing 5 and the bowlcoming to rest. Reverse movement of the rockshafts 3U and 3| causes theclutch plates to re-engage. One or both of the clutch plates 6 and 1 mayhave their engaging surfaces leather or fabric faced to ensure apositive transmission of the drive.

'Ihe rockshafts 30 and 3| may be operated manually by two arms 34 and 35which have at their upper ends blocks 36 and 31 through which a shaft 38is passed, the shaft being rotatable but not slidable in the one block31 and screwing through the other block 36, the shaft having a handwheel 39 or other operating means. A spring 40 may be positioned betweenthe arms 34 and 35.

'I'he feed to the bowl 2 is by means of a chute 44. This chute 44 has asecond chute 45 connected to its end by a pivot 46, which chute 45, whenit is swung down, affects the vlength of the chute Y 44 and diverts thefeed over the bowl instead of into it.

The bowl 2 is enclosed in a chamber 48 in the main frame I, the chamberbeing formed by side and end plates 49 and by an inclined floor plate58, so that the gangue which discharges over the lip ofthe bowl when thebowl is in operation is caught and led on to the next unit by a chute 44identical with the chute 44-45 just described.

In the centre of the bowl 2 is an opening into whichthe tubular shaft 3projects and the top of the shaft 3, which is flush with the floor ofthe bowl, has a seating for a valve 52 which normally closes the top ofthe shaft, but which may be raised by a rod 53 within the shafts 3 and8. The valve 52 is raised when it isV desired to discharge theconcentrate from the bowl 2 after operation. The rod 53 projects fromthe end of the shaft 8 and engages a tappet arm 54 operated by a lever55 or by other means.

A water pipe 51 projects into the bowl 2 the purpose of which is tosupply water to the bowl to wash the concentrate from it and down theshafts 3 and 8. The water pipe 51 has a shutoff valve 58.

Instead of operating the chute 44-45, the clutch 6-1, the ball valve 52,and the shut-off valve 58 manually, they may be operated by cams 6I),6I, 62 and 63 respectively, the tappet 64 of the cams 60 operating theVchute 45, the tappet 65 of the cam 6I operating two arms 68 and 69secured to the rockshafts 3D and 3| respectively, the tappet 66 of thecam 62 operating the arm 54 of the ball valve 52, and the tappet 61 ofthe cam 63 operating the shut-off valve 58 of the water supply.

The arrangement of the several units is as indicated in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, the first'unit in step formation and having upon their innerand I9 of the several units. A driver wheel 10 is shown upon the shaft22 of the first unit. 5

' The manner of operation of my machine is as follows:

The bowls 2 are caused to rotate and the material to be treated is fedwith a supply of water in a continuous stream into the first chute 44and l0 falls therefrom into the centre of the rotating bowl 2 and isimmediately spun outwards, a large portion of the concentrate clingingto the face of the bowl while the water and gangue and the remainder ofthe concentrate pass upward and are discharged over the rim of the bowland into the chamber 48 of that unit. From the chamber 48 it flows downthe next chute to the second bowl, and soon. As the material begins toclimb up the face of each bowl the concentrate is caught in the groo-vesunder the projecting lips or edges of the several baiiies from whichowing to the centrifugal force it cannot be dislodged, the greater partbeing trapped in one of the lower grooves of each bowl.V Even in thecase of very heavy feeding an excellent extraction is securedv sincepractically all the particles Yof concentra-te strike direct on to thebottom of the bowl at the very outset and are in an admirable conditionfor saving, in that each heavy particle clings to the surface of therotating bowl as it travels up to the baiiie and the lighter particlesof gangue cannot get under and displace it.

From time to time one of the units of the machine is stopped for therecovery of the concentrate from its bowl.

To remove the concentrate Vfrom one of the units the part of the chute44-45 which feeds that unit is first of all lowered to divert the feedfrom that unit to the next. to continue rotating for a short while untilchiefly only the concentrate is left in it, whereupon the rockshafts 30and 3| are operated to Vdisengage the clutch plate 6 from the clutchplate 1 and the bowl thereupon ceasesvto rotate. 45'

The valve 52 is next raised from its seating by means of the rod 53 andthe concentrate allowed to fall down the tubular shafts 3 and 8 to thesettling pits or elsewhere. Water is fed into the bowl, through the pipe51, to assist in clearing the bowl of the concentrate. So soon as thebowl is clear the water is shut off, the valve 52 is allowed to seat andthe clutch plate 6 is allowed to engage the clutch plate 1 to again spinthe bowl. The part 45 of the chute raised and the unit resumes itsOperation.

It will be seen that the machine is continuous in operation as while oneof the units is being cleared of concentrate the feed to such unit isby-passed to the next unit.

What I claim is:

1. For removing a material of greater specific gravity from a materialof lower specific gravity a machine comprising, a series of bowlsarranged faces undercut bafes, means to feed material to be treated intothe first bowl, meansrto feed material discharged from over the lip ofeach bowl into the next bowl, means to by-pass the feed of any bowl tothe next bowl, and means to drive the bowls comprising a shaft for eachbowl, the shaft of each bowl having a clutch positioned between itsdriving means and the bowl, there being means to operate the clutches 52to stop any bowl.

The bowl is allowed 40' 14a-45 1s then 55" 2. A machine as set forth inclaim 1 characterized in that the 4supporting and driving means for eachbowl comprises, a vertical shaft upon the top of which the bowl issecured and which is slidable as well as rotatable in a bearing, a,clutch plate at the lower end of such shaft, a second shaft coaxial andbelow the rst shaft and having a clutch plate at its upper end, drivingmeans for the second shaft, and means to disengage the clutch platescomprising rockshafts to lift the upper clutch plate.

3. For removing a material of greater specic gravity from a material oflower specific gravity a machine comprising: a series of units arrangedin step formation, each unit having walls forming a chamber, a rotatablebowl in said chamber having upon its inner face undercut baffles, thechamber of each unit having a sloping oor terminating in a chute havingits discharge end over the bowl of the next unit, an extension sopivoted to the end of the chute of each unit that when the extension israised the feed passes from the chute into the bowl of the next unit butwhen the extension is down the feed passes from such chute on to theextension and into the bowl of the next, a chute to feed material to thebowl of the first unit, an extension similar t0 the other extensionspivoted to the end of this chute, means to rotate the several bowls, andmeans to stop and discharge any bowl.

4. For removing a material of greater specic gravity from a material oflower specific gravity a machinecomprising; a series of bowls arrangedin step formation and each having its inner face curving fromapproximately horizontal at the centre to approximately vertical at thelip and having upon its inner face a series of undercut baffles, meansto feed material to be treated into the first bowl, means to feedmaterial discharged from over the lip of each bowl into the next bowl,means to by-pass the feed of any bowl to the next bowl, means to rotatethe several bowls, 2o

and meansto stop and discharge any bowl.

MICHAEL SCHLANK.

